Brown Eyes
by narnianofcairparavel
Summary: Renesmee Cullen is in love with a werewolf. Only problem is he's not the one she's supposed to love. (Re-vamped 'A Call')
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** It's been forever since I wrote anything for this account, for two simple reasons: lack of inspiration and time. I've decided to revisit this story, mostly because I think it has potential and my writing has improved so much from the time I started writing this. As I said when I started, I know this is a very random pairing but I think they could be cute and they would certainly have an interesting dynamic. Please let me know what you think.

**Disclaimer: **All of the characters found in this fanfiction belong to Stephanie Meyer. I own nothing.

**Chapter One**

**R**enesmee's eyes darted towards the movement coming from the trees that surrounded her. Whatever it was approaching her was large- very large. She found herself instinctively crouching in anticipation, her hands curling into claws as she awaited the arrival of the threat.

The rustling quickly grew louder until she realised the source was only a few hundred yards away. She braced herself, ready for an attack before gasping as a gray wolf came bounding towards her.

"Embry!"

The wolf's huge shoulder's shook with what was clearly laughter. Renesmee growled softly. "It's not funny. You could've given me a heart attack."

Embry-wolf moved closer, his eyes downcast as if in repentance. She didn't believe it for a second; even in his wolf form Embry's brown eyes were brimming with mirth. "Hey, urm, I'm not my dad so could you change, please?"

If he could have done so, Renesmee was sure Embry would have raised an eyebrow at her suggestion. She blushed as she pointed towards the nearby bushes he had burst from a few minutes before. "Over there."

Embry rolled a giant brown eye before darting off to return to his human self. Not for the first time, Renesmee pondered how much she wanted a dog.

"Hey!"

She jumped at the sound of Embry's voice. She turned her back on him as he came forward. "You're not forgiven," she replied sullenly, folding her arms across her chest.

She heard a scoff. "Don't give me that rubbish, Brown Eyes." Without warning Renesmee found herself pulled into a tight hug. She squirmed against his grip before giving up with a huff.

"Fine. You're forgiven." Embry released his grip on her, stepping back as she turned around. He smirked at her, clearly pleased with himself.

"See? I knew I could get you to forgive me," he grinned, nudging her playfully.

Renesmee glared at him out of the corner of her eye before relenting, pulling his closer for another hug. She smiled at the warmth before it occurred to her that he was still lacking a shirt. Reluctantly, she pulled away, smiling up at him as she took his hand instead. "Are you coming to the party tonight?"

Embry frowned for a second before smiling. "I can't. Sorry, Brown Eyes but your boyfriend has me on night duty."

It was Renesmee's turn to roll her eyes. "Jake's not my boyfriend." Much as she loved Jacob, it had begun to occur to her that everyone, including Aunt Rosalie, expected her to marry Jacob. She just wished they would let her have a say- Imprint or no imprint.

Oblivious to her inner turmoil, Embry chuckled softly. "_Sure_. I'll see you later?" He asked, squeezing her hand before hurrying into the trees, his body already shaking as he began to change.

***x*x***

Renesmee lounged on the couch, watching as her mother played chess against Emmett. She sighed before picking up her formerly discarded copy of _Dracula._ Her mother beating Emmett was not as interesting to watch as the matches between her father and Alice. At that moment Alice herself was far too busy decorating for her mother's party to take part.

"Nessie," her pixie-like aunt cooed, dancing into view. "It's time to shop!"

Renesmee frowned as Jasper walked past. "I lost a bet," he explained sourly as Alice ushered the pair of them into the garage. "I should've known better," he admitted, climbing into the driver's seat.

With Jasper driving the journey to Port Angeles barely took five minutes. As her aunt put money in the parking meter Renesmee pulled her uncle aside. "You should have driven slowly; all the shops would've been closed," she whispered.

He chuckled, holding his hand out to Alice as she returned, allowing himself to be pulled towards the shops. Renesmee fell behind, watching them fondly. She hoped that if she _had_ to marry Jacob they would be as happy as her aunt and uncle. Except, Jake wasn't the person she saw when she tried to imagine herself in that situation.

"Renesmee!"

She shook her head, running to catch up.

It took Alice hours to find an outfit she found acceptable. She had pushed Renesmee from one changing room to another as an amused Jasper gave his verdict on each item while he avoided his wife's determined marching.

"Why don't you get some popcorn?" Renesmee cried, exasperated by her aunt's constant pulling and tugging. "It will help you enjoy the show."

Jasper had simply roared with laughter.

***x*x***

Embry ran alongside Seth, the pace slower than he would like.

_A cub could run faster than this._

Seth whined next to him. _I've been running the perimeter every night all week_.

As the sandy wolf yawned Embry growled to himself. Jacob had recently fallen into the habit of spending every possible second with Renesmee. It was ridiculous; the pack leader had not been so over the top when Renesmee was a baby and in actual danger.

_It's not your fault, bro. Why don't you take the rest of the night off?_

Seth-wolf yawned again, shaking his head.

_Seriously, I'll get this done faster without you. Rest, Seth._ He added as Seth began to protest.

Embry was right; without Seth he managed to survey the border twice before coming across Renesmee in her drawing tree. He watched her for a minute, smiling to himself as he watched her concentrate, moving her hair from her face with evident frustration. He felt himself melt back into his human self, suddenly grateful that Jacob insisted his pack ensured they had clothes nearby at all times.

"Renesmee!"

If she hadn't inherited her father's sense of balance she would surely have fallen from the tree. Instead, she whirled gracefully in the direction of his voice. "Embry! You startled me," she admitted, leaping from the tree.

"Second time today," he grinned, holding his arms out for a hug.

"It's not funny." Renesmee pouted, slipping into his outstretched arms and sighing contentedly. He allowed himself to rest his chin on top of her head for a moment before remembering what she had been doing when he found her.

"What were you drawing, Brown Eyes?"

She removed herself from his arms, looking for something in her pocket and holding out a single piece of rumbled paper. "Here."

Embry stared at the drawing- a wolf howling at a full moon- and recognised himself with a jolt. For some reason he couldn't explain it pleased him that Renesmee would want to draw him. "This is amazing, _Ren_."

"You didn't call me 'Nessie'," she whispered, finally meeting his eyes.

It was his turn to blush. He coughed awkwardly. "Well, you don't look like a Scottish monster to me." Renesmee laughed. "Besides, you don't seem fond of 'Nessie'. Why would I use a nickname you don't like?"

He looked away from her face, taking in her outfit for the first time- he wasn't particularly well informed when it came to fashion. The lilac dress reminded him of her mother's party but it wasn't the dress he was looking at. His gaze lingered on her wrist where a delicate bracelet sat adorned with a diamond heart that had been a gift to her mother from her father hung next to a small wolf- a gift from Jacob to Bella. "Shouldn't you be at the party? It is your mother's birthday after all."

Renesmee groaned at the reminder. "It's not like she's not going to have many, many, many, many," she continued, laughing as Embry nodded his head in time with every 'many' she added.

"More," he finished for her, grinning broadly.

"Exactly." She reached out to take his hand, jumping back as Jacob appeared.

"Embry, I thought you were running the border with Seth." It wasn't a question. Embry could hear the annoyance in his leader's voice. Fortunately Jake was too busy staring at Renesmee to notice Embry narrowing his eyes.

"Seth was tired. I ran the perimeter, twice, before I came across Renesmee here. He's not a machine you know."

Renesmee looked at Embry in shock before stepping closer to Jake. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have kept you, Embry. Sorry."

"Yeah, see you around," he muttered, offering her drawing.

"Keep it, it's yours," she whispered, taking Jacob's hand and leading him back to the Cullen house.

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen, your mother has been worried sick," Jake chastised when they were halfway back to the house, his grip on Renesmee's hand still tighter than she'd have liked.

"My mother physically cannot be sick," Renesmee laughed, waving as her family noticed the approaching pair. She frowned as she noticed every pair of eyes had fallen on the hand that was entwined with Jake's.

**XXXX**

**A/N **I hope people are still interested in this story even after all the waiting. Sorry about that. I'm happier with this version so far and I hope to fully continue this story. Please R&R?


	2. Chapter 2

Renesmee walked reluctantly back into the house, trying to ignore the heat radiating from Jacob's hand.

"You look nice, Nessie," he grinned, looking her up and down appraisingly. She squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze. "Or should I call you 'Ren'?"

Renesmee froze at the sound of Embry's nickname. She blinked before forcing herself to smile up at him. "Nessie's fine, Jake. You've always called me Nessie."

Jacob's smile grew wider as she spoke. "_My_ Nessie."

Renesmee cringed.

***x*x***

Embry ran beside Leah, barking as he tried to goad her into racing him. Anything to keep him from thinking about Renesmee.

_It is no good pining after her. _

Embry growled. There was, surprisingly, no malice in Leah's mental voice and he hated the fact that she was right.

_I'm not pining after anyone, Clearwater. Especially not some vampire-human hybrid. It's unnatural. _

Leah gave him a sidelong glance. It was easier to lie in his head than out loud but they both knew the truth.

_Lie to her, lie to Jake, you can even lie to yourself. You can't lie to me. I know what it feels like._

Embry winced. It was impossible to forget what had happened between Sam, Emily and Leah. Suddenly the thought of confiding in Leah didn't seem so bad. At least someone would understand exactly how he felt. For the first time in a long time he wished he could just imprint on someone.

Without warning Leah aimed a playful nip at him before darting off. Embry barked in her direction before beginning his pursuit; he wasn't going to let Leah beat him again.

***x*x***

Renesmee lent against one of the trees that stood outside the Cullen house. She was conscious of her mother watching as Embry approached.

"Hello."

She didn't look up, instead patting the ground beside her. As soon as he sat down next to her, she cuddled into his side- more out of habit than anything else. Renesmee had been reading with the wolves for as long as she could remember.

"_Romeo and Juliet_?" Embry asked, looking at the cover of her book. "Is there something I should know, Brown Eyes? Are you lovesick?"

Suddenly glad that it was too dark for Embry to notice how red she was, Renesmee elbowed him in the gut. "Of course not."

Embry looked up at the house, grinning suddenly. "Your parents are watching us."

She nodded absently, mouthing the lines as she read. "They've been talking about me all night." She didn't need to glance up from her book to know her mother was watching them with a deeply concerned look on her face. "Apparently I'm not so in love with Jacob as they were expecting."

Embry turned his attention back to her. "What do you mean?" He pulled the book from her hands when she didn't reply. "Renesmee?"

"They've been talking about it with Jacob. My parents agreed they would never push me into anything I didn't want to do but my mom's been getting worried. She thinks I should want to be with Jake all the time, like I did when I was five. Quil and Claire got married recently, didn't they? She thinks it should be the same for me. She just feels guilty, my mom, I mean. She couldn't be with Jacob and now she's scared I'll break his heart all over again."

They sat in silence for a while until Renesmee offered to read some of the book. Embry had never quite understood the appeal of Shakespeare but loved to watch how involved Renesmee became with the characters. It was incredibly endearing.

"_But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?_

_It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."_

Renesmee smiled as she read, completely caught up in the action. She didn't notice Embry was staring at her strangely.

"Renesmee!"

At the sound of Rosalie approaching Embry stood, not wanting to be around the blond vampire any longer than necessary. She still was not particularly fond of the wolves, in particular Jacob who continued to make jokes at her expense.

"_Parting is such sweet sorrow, _I don't know the rest," Embry admitted, waving to Renesmee as he set off for the woods.

"Your mom wants a word with you," Rosalie grinned, stroking Renesmee's hair. "I'm sorry she's being so pushy about the whole imprinting thing. I'm sure you understand why she's the way she is though."

Renesmee nodded, closing the book. "Of course I do. She hurt her best friend all those years ago and she doesn't want me to do the same thing. I understand that. It's just not fair, Aunt Rose, I shouldn't have to cure her guilty conscious."

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen."

"I'm sorry, Aunt Rose, but I can't do this. I can't pretend to feel something I don't feel just to keep my mother happy."

Rosalie sighed, pulling Renesmee closer to her. "It's not just to keep your mother happy. It's for the good of this family, believe it or not, it's what's good for you too, much as it pains me to say. And, though I have no love for the dogs, it's for the good of the packs and our truce with them."

Renesmee nodded cuddling into her aunt's side. The cold embrace she received in return was as comforting to her as the warmer ones she received from the wolves. She had felt at home in the cold since she was a baby, that much hadn't changed.

"I'll see you in a minute, Ness, you have a wolf waiting for you. I can smell it from here." With a graceful wrinkling of her nose Rosalie headed back to the house as Embry stepped out from the trees.

"Were you eavesdropping, Embry Call?"

He laughed, clearly amused by the accusation. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing?" He pressed his hand to his chest as if offended. "I'm hurt!"

Renesmee laughed, standing up to see him better. "Sorry. You weren't eavesdropping?"

"Actually no, I was chasing a squirrel," he grinned, winking playfully.

She nodded, reaching up to pat his head condescending manner but missing, far too short to reach the top of his head she instead settled on patting his cheek.

Without warning Embry jumped away from her touch, looking at her with a mixture of shock and confusion. "What was that, Renesmee?" His voice was shaky, much to her surprise, and he refused to meet her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Embry. What happened?"

Embry finally managed to meet her eyes. "You showed me something, Ren."

Renesmee stepped back; she hadn't meant to show him anything. "What?"

"It looked like us. It looked like us _kissing_."

**XXX**

**A/N **So, this chapter has changed dramatically from the original but I quite like it. However, this is where the story stopped last time. That is certainly not my intention this time around. You will get a chapter three…Well, I'm off to watch the news, royal baby on the way!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. The characters from the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. Romeo & Juliet belong to Shakespeare.


	3. Chapter 3

"_See how she leans her cheek upon her hand._

_O that I were a glove upon that hand_

_That I might touch that cheek!"_

Shakespeare's _Romeo & Juliet_

**Chapter Three**

Without another word, Renesmee darted off towards the house. How could she have been so stupid? With one foolish mistake she had probably just destroyed the best friendship she had had since she was a child.

"Ren, wait!"

Renesmee refused to stop, too embarrassed to even look at Embry. It didn't occur to her to remember that Embry was a great deal faster than she was, even as a human. She felt a warm hand on her arm tugging her to a halt.

"Where are you going?"

She didn't answer, choosing instead to stare at her feet. Her eyes began to water and she cursed her human genes. If she had been a full vampire she wouldn't have had such a problem with her emotions. "Anywhere but here. Do you realise how humiliating that was?"

To her surprise, she heard Embry laugh. Curious, she raised her head to see him smiling widely. "It's fine, Ren, really, it is. Besides, If I were you I'd want to kiss me too."

Renesmee laughed. "Of course you would."

"I am ridiculously good-looking."

She looked at her feet, silently agreeing with Embry's observation. Not that she would ever tell him that- his ego was already far too big for his own good. "I have to go, Embry."

As soon as she began to walk towards the house she realised Embry was following her. She frowned to herself. He had said he was fine with what had happened but what did that actually mean? Did it mean he wanted them to kiss or that he was okay with Renesmee wanting them to kiss but didn't feel the same way about her. It was all very confusing. With sudden courage she hadn't expected, Renesmee turned around ready to ask her question. Without warning, she felt Embry's warm hand grabbed her wrist, dragging her behind the trees.

"Embry-"

Before she could ask the question she was cut off by Embry's lips crashing into hers. "Mmph"

Unsure of how to respond she stood still with her arms hanging limply by her side. '_Well, at least that answers your question. Here's a better one; how would Jacob, your imprint, feel if he could see you now.'_

She did her best to ignore the annoyingly sensible voice inside her head. It was impossible and she pulled away reluctantly.

Even in the moonlight she could see the hurt on Embry's face at her perceived rejection. "I'm sorry, Ren. I just thought you wanted to-"

"No, I do, I really do, it's just, Jacob."

Embry barked out a laugh at this. "I'm not sure how many people you've kissed, Renesmee, but most guys don't like to know that the girl they are kissing is thinking about someone else."

She bowed her head. "That's not how I meant it, Embry. I am his imprint. What would happen if he knew about this? As your Alpha rather than your friend, I mean."

He ran his hand through his hair, sighing. "I don't think anything like this has ever happened before. I suppose it would be dealt with the same way wolves deal with this sort of thing in the wild. I'd probably either be forced to leave the pack, given a severe warning or worse."

As he spoke, Renesmee felt her heart begin to race. The thought of what her actions could do to the pack scared her more than she thought possible, and she had faced the threat of the Volturi. "This was a mistake then, wasn't it?"

Suddenly Embry's hands were on her cheeks, forcing her to look at him. "Don't say that. I'm the one who would have to deal with the consequences and I'm okay with that, Renesmee." He bent down to kiss her again and, against her better judgement, she couldn't bring herself to pull away. This time she kissed him back.

"Embry!"

Abruptly, Embry pulled away. They both turned to look at Jacob who came through the trees seconds after they parted. Renesmee stepped to the side awkwardly, wanting to put some distance between herself and Embry, some part of her childishly thinking this would lessen her 'crime'.

"Oh, hey, Nessie!"

She smiled as broadly as she could, taking Jacob's outstretched hand with a guilty look in Embry's direction. Instead of looking at her he glanced at her hand, now entwined with his friend's.

"Are you going to run the perimeter with Quil in the morning?" Jacob asked, squeezing Renesmee's hand gently. "Or you could go with one of the cubs?"

Embry nodded. "You're the Alpha. It's your choice, Jake."

"Go with Quil, I need a word with the youngsters. I'm fed up with dealing with preventable injuries."

Renesmee laughed, remembering some of the younger wolves turning up in her grandfather's study with sprained ankles and broken bones from play fighting when they weren't on duty. "Grandpa Carlisle will be out of a job if you do that."

Jacob grinned down at her while Embry chuckled. "See you later, Embry."

As Jacob led her away, Renesmee frowned- being led away from Embry by Jacob was becoming something of habit. She didn't like that thought one bit.

***x*x***

Renesmee winced as Alice ran a comb through her hair. "You shouldn't spend so much time climbing trees. You're not an animal."

Grinning, Renesmee stuck her tongue out at her aunt, giggling to herself. She moved out of the way of the comb, tired of the attempts to tame her foliage-covered curls.

"You're just as bad as your mother. She never cared enough for her appearance when she was a human."

Renesmee considered this for a moment, looking at her mother in her designer clothing and perfectly done hair, all of it bought for her by Alice. Maybe being completely flawless in appearance was just a vampire thing- even with his innumerable scars, Jasper was still one of the most perfect looking people Renesmee had ever seen in her short life. Except the perfection of the vampires was somewhat intimidating. Despite her vampire heritage, Renesmee had always preferred the more human beauty of the copper-skinned wolves. A trait her family considered unforgivable.

"I do care," she argued, frowning at herself in the mirror. She tugged at a copper curl that immediately bounced back into its former position. "Besides, you can't really complain, Aunt Alice, I do let you use me like a Barbie most days."

Alice kissed her check. "And I love you for it."

Rosalie, adjusting her lipstick in the mirror, smiled. "You're too good to her, Ness."

"Maybe she just lets me do it so she looks beautiful for Jacob."

"She doesn't need your help to look beautiful," Rosalie countered, patting Renesmee's hand comfortingly.

She smiled half-heartedly, thinking back to Embry's hurt face a few hours before. She ignored the look she was receiving from her mother, not wanting to argue over Jacob again.

"Jake always thinks she looks beautiful and rightly so. She is his imprint after all."

Renesmee fought to keep her expression neutral.

**Xxx**

**A/N **Well, since I last updated this, the royal baby has been born named. I'm really slow huh? This is the furthest this fanfiction has ever gotten so I think celebrations (reviews) are in order. Thanks to my best friend and wifey for her suggestions and help with this chapter. I was at a dead end with this story and genuinely thought it was doomed to end at two chapters as it did the last time round!


	4. Chapter 4

_Love is heavy and light,_

_Bright and dark,_

_Hot and cold,_

_Sick and healthy,_

_Asleep and awake-_

_It is everything except what it is!_

-William Shakespeare's _Romeo & Juliet_

**Chapter Four**

Embry sat with Quil as they listened to Jacob detailing his plans for Renesmee's surprise party. He rolled his eyes; the whole idea seemed pointless to him- Renesmee's birthday had been celebrated almost a week ago and they had had Bella's in between, what good was it throwing Renesmee a party for a birthday she had long since celebrated?

Of course, Embry wouldn't say any of this to his alpha or friend. After all, despite everything that had happened, Jake was, and always would be, one of his closest friends. They had been through a lot together and it troubled Embry that he was now having to keep one of the worst secrets he had ever kept from his best friend. It was far worse than waiting for Jake to finally join Sam's pack, at least then he hadn't had to look his best friend in the eye and know he was lying to him.

"Are you all on board?"

Jacob's question snapped Embry out of his reverie with a sigh. "Of course, Jake. I think she'll like that."

"Great, oh and Embry? I'd like you to be the one to bring her to the house. After all, not including me, you probably are closer to her than anyone else."

_You can't even imagine._

Embry ignored the pointed look Leah was sending his way. He knew she was planning a lecture later.

***x*x***

Renesmee watched placidly as Alice hummed, dancing her way around the house as she often did. "What's the occasion?"

Alice paused mid-step, tapping her nose secretively with a dainty finger. "All in good time, young lady! Good things come to those who wait."

Renesmee frowned as she realised Alice was beginning to act the way she always did when there was a party involved. She felt something resembling dread begin to build in her stomach. "I'll take your word for it."

Alice beamed, skipping from the room. Rosalie scoffed from her seat across the room. "Don't look so worried, it probably doesn't involve you."

"Like you don't know what she has planned!"

Rosalie arched an eyebrow. "Are you accusing me of being involved in your aunt's hideous plot against you?"

Renesmee stared at her aunt, using her best pout the way she had perfected when she was very young. Rosalie was usually the toughest to win over in the house, at least according to Renesmee's parents but she had quickly figured out the easiest way to the blond vampire's heart. "Yes, I am. Please tell me, Auntie Rose?"

Rosalie chuckled, holding her arms out for a hug which Renesmee gladly accepted. "I'm sworn to secrecy, Little One. Maybe you'll have better luck asking one of the wolves. I'm sure Jacob will tell you. Or Embry?"

Renesmee hoped foolishly that her aunt would not notice her stiffen at the mention of Embry's name.

"Are you okay, Renesmee?"

"I think I need some air."

Without a backward glance Renesmee rushed from the house, getting as far into the trees as she could, hoping that no one would come looking for her, Jacob and Embry included.

"Brown Eyes?"

She silently cursed her horrible luck. With a certain degree of unnecessary trepidation, she turned to look at Embry. When their eyes met she tried to remind herself that, strictly speaking, they had done nothing wrong. She had wanted to kiss him and, evidently, he had wanted to kiss her too. If they had been two normal people there wouldn't have been anything wrong with what they had done.

_But you're not normal_. A voice in her head that reminded her suspiciously of her mother reminded her annoyingly. _You never have been and you never will be. You are the imprint of his alpha. _

They stared at each other for a few agonisingly awkward moment. Clearly neither of them wanted to talk about what had happened but it was clear that the dynamic between them had changed markedly.

"Hey, Embry," Renesmee said tightly, trying to keep her expression as neutral as possible. A surprisingly hard task she discovered after a few failed attempts.

"Hey."

_Is this what we've come to?_ She thought miserably. Only a day ago they had had no trouble talking for hours. One little kiss had ruined it all. _At least you finally understand what they're talking about in those silly romance books you always read._

"About what happened before-"

They stopped, blinking at each other as they realised what they had just said.

"After you," Embry offered, stuffing his large hands into the pockets of his shorts.

"I-I don't know what there is to say. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, Embry." She paused- judging from the look on his face she wasn't saying what he wanted to hear. Not even close. "I wanted to kiss you and I still do, it's just-"

"It's just _what,_ Renesmee?" Embry asked though clenched teeth. Even though his hands were concealed in his shorts she could see they were balled into fists. "You're the imprint of my best friend and alpha? Is that it?"

That's exactly it. "It's not just that, Embry. I never wanted to hurt anyone, especially you or Jake but my family expects certain things from me and I can't just ruin everything they've worked so hard to achieve. It's selfish."

Embry narrowed his dark eyes. "I've heard you say before that it was selfish of your parents to rely on you to make sure everything goes to plan. What happened to _that _Renesmee, Ren?"

"She grew up."

"It was only a few days ago."

"A lot can change in a few days, Embry."

"Yes. It can." Within a few strides, Embry had closed the distance between them and was holding her face in his hands. She blinked up at him. Without any warning Renesmee was pulled into kiss, one that she just could not bring herself to stop. It was becoming a dangerous pattern.

Renesmee stretched onto her toes to wrap her arms around Embry's neck. It was a difficult task considering how much her towered over her. Apparently this was all the encouragement the shape-shifter needed and he deepened the kiss. Silently she willed herself to stop him- there were in plain sight after all, it wasn't like the first time when they had been fairly well concealed by the trees.

"Embry!"

Renesmee winced as she unlocked her grip, stepping away from Embry with reluctance. She recognised the voice immediately and groaned as her fears were confirmed. "Leah-"

Leah shook her head. It was obvious that no amount of explaining was going to help this situation. Even so, Renesmee knew she had to at least try.

"Leah, please, listen to me."

Leah shook her head, not even looking in Renesmee's direction, her cold, disbelieving glare focused instead on Embry. "Don't, Renesmee. Go home. Now. Jacob's waiting for you."

Renesmee looked at Embry, trying to saying everything she couldn't say out loud with one glance but, like Leah, he wouldn't look at her. Trying to hide the tears beginning to build up in her eyes she rushed towards her house, barely taking a few steps before she heard shouting which was soon followed by growls, barking and yelps.

**XXX**

**A/N **I'm sorry about the delay with this chapter, I don't have a good excuse. I sat down and wrote this in one sitting so I apologise for any errors and the fact that this chapter isn't very good at all. I wanted to get this up ASAP because it's unlikely there will be an update next week. It's very hectic, I won't have internet access for a lot of it as I'm going south for a funeral and I probably won't have the chance to write anything anyway, I'm just not feeling it right now, there's so much going on. Thanks for the reviews, they are all so lovely and helpful!** Please keep 'em coming!**


	5. Chapter 5

"_These violent delights have violent ends_

_And in their triumph die, like fire and powder_

_Which, as they kiss, consume"_

-William Shakespeare's_ Romeo & Juliet._

**Chapter Five**

"What do you think you're doing, Embry?" Leah asked, her voice low and dangerous. It was like watching a panther coil ready for an attack – only in this case the panther was a shape-shifting wolf.

"It's none of your business."

Leah arched an eyebrow, her eyes widening in what he supposed had to be disbelief. "None of my business," she repeated incredulously. "It's not just your happiness that's at stake here, or even Renesmee's. Whatever game you're playing puts the entire pack at risk, along with our treaty with the vampires. Did you ever stop to consider that?"

"_Game_. You think this is just a game?"

Leah sighed. "I don't know what it is, Embry. I just know that it has to stop. For all our sakes."

Embry frowned. "Surely you understand? You must know how it feels, given what happened with Sam and Emily."

"That was a different."

Embry stepped closer as Leah flinched. "How exactly?"

"Sam wasn't a beta fooling around with his alpha's imprint!"

Embry growled as he felt his entire body beginning to shake. "I'm not fooling around with anybody! I love Renesmee!"

"You don't know what love is," Leah whispered, shaking her head at him. Whether she was mocking him or being sincere he couldn't tell but it was too much for him.

Without thinking, or stopping to consider the consequences of his actions, he felt himself change and lunged at Leah who had realised what was about to happen and had herself already shifted. Embry didn't stop to think, clawing and snapping at Leah who fought back as ferocious as ever. They had pushed each other too far and they knew it. The problem was neither of them was willing to back down or admit they had been wrong.

***x*x***

"What were you thinking?" Jacob snapped pacing angrily as an almost irritatingly calm Carlisle tended to the wounds that littered Embry's skin.

"It got out of hand, that's all," Embry replied, wincing as Carlisle touched a particularly sore area. The vampire apologised quietly, continuing his ministrations as Jacob spoke.

"You could have been seen, someone could have been killed."

"But they weren't," the other boy argued, watching as one of the worst patches was treated.

"What happened?" A quiet voice asked.

All three turned to look at the speaker; Renesmee stood in the doorway watching as Carlisle finished with the stitches.

"Nothing, Nessie. It's fine." As always, nothing calmed Jacob faster than the sight of Renesmee.

Embry avoided her half-guilty, half-concerned stare. He realised suddenly that she must have heard the argument. Leah wasn't exactly quiet.

"We're finished here," Carlisle whispered, packing the last of his equipment away. "You're sure Leah won't let me check her?"

Jacob looked guiltily at the doctor. "She'd rather be seen by one of the tribe elders."

_She still doesn't trust vampires._ Embry filled in the unspoken words.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Carlisle turned his attention back to Embry. "You need to rest, even for someone with rapid healing like yours, broken ribs aren't something to be taken lightly. No wolf for a while."

Embry nodded sullenly looking at his alpha who was giving him a stern look. A clear warning that he was going to have to start behaving and apologise to Leah. He sighed- he had managed to get himself into such a mess and it was all his doing.

***x*x***

Renesmee ran to the woods, hoping that no one would follow her this time. She didn't think she could bear it. When she thought she was far enough from the house to be safe she risked a look behind her. There was no one there. Knowing she was finally alone she allowed the tears that had been threatening to over flow for days to come pouring out.

It was all her fault.

All of it. The fighting, the lying. Everything.

"Renesmee?"

She turned around, startled by the sound of her name. "Leah, what are you doing here?"

"I think we need to talk, about you," she paused for a moment. "And Embry."

She felt herself beginning to blush. It was beginning to sound like one of the lectures she received from her mother almost weekly about the dangers of the world around her as she grew older. "I don't think there's anything to talk about."

"_Renesmee_. I know we don't talk much but I know what you're going through right now."

Renesmee shook her head, walking over to a log and sitting down. "No, you don't. You might know what Embry's going through but you don't know what I'm going through. Your actions weren't putting a pack at risk, were they?"

Leah opened her mouth to speak but seemed to think better of it and instead chose to sit next to her, patting Renesmee's shoulder somewhat awkwardly. "No, they weren't but you can't blame yourself for how you feel. Do you love him?"

"I-I don't know. At least, I think I do."

The older of the two nodded. "Do you love _Jacob_?"

Renesmee nodded. "Like a brother or a best friend. It's not enough," she whispered, digging her nails into her palms. "I don't want to hurt him. Either of them."

"I know this is exactly what you don't want to hear, Renesmee, but you have to do the right thing. Whatever you eventually decide the right thing is."

Tears began to build in Renesmee's eyes, much to her chagrin, as she tugged at the moss that covered the entirety of the fallen log. It was strangely comforting to take her annoyance out on the unsuspecting greenery. Or perhaps it was simply that it was destructive in a non-threatening way, the way she had always been taught to deal with her frustration or anger without relying on the convenience of Jasper's power. "I know. I know I do and I think that's what scares me the most. Trying to decide what the right thing is."

Leah sighed beside her, whether it was meant as a sign of sympathy or frustration, Renesmee couldn't be sure. "Trust me, I know. Letting go of Sam was one of the hardest things I had ever done. I think it might even be_ the_ hardest thing I have ever done but it was the right thing. Look at how happy he is with Emily. It hurts to see them together but I know they are happy. Maybe you should let Embry be happy, even if he has to be happy with someone else."

Renesmee shook her head. "What if I decide that it's not the right thing? What happens to us, the wolves and my family, if I decide the right thing is to let Jacob be happy with someone else. After all, no one ever said that you have to love your imprint romantically. Everyone just assumes that that is the way it has to be."

"What you have to decide Renesmee is if that is the way it is meant to be for you. And for Jacob."

With that, Leah stood and left Renesmee, walking into the darkness of the trees silently without so much as looking back in her direction.

**XXXX**

**A/N **I know, it's been a while and this is so short and crappy. I've just been very distracted recently. A-Level Results, Uni prep, work stress. It's been manic. Thanks for all the support with this story, I know it's been a bit iffy and E/R are a very strange couple. I just wanted to thank my best friend, Emily who has been very supportive of this one…and tries to bully me into writing faster. Thanks, Dude. I hope to update soon…in the meantime, please, please…R&R?


	6. Chapter 6

_The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:_

_Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;_

William Shakespeare's _Romeo & Juliet_

**Chapter Six**

Much as it pained Renesmee to admit it, Leah was right. She had to grow up and decide what was right, what was merely easy and what she herself wanted. It wasn't going to be simple; her whole life Renesmee had been kept from difficult decisions, always treated like the baby her family still imagine her to be.

Making her way reluctantly back to the house she was hit by a certain sense of déjà vu. It seemed to her that activity she seemed to be repeating a lot in recent times. The only difference was this time she was going to break someone's heart.

"Ren?"

Not now. Please, not now.

"Ren, look at me. Please."

The pain in his voice threatened to rip her heart to shreds. She couldn't bear to look at him, knowing that what she was about to tell him, the choice she had made was going to break his heart. "I can't, Embry." She kept her eyes locked on her fingers, threading the shaking digits together nervously.

"Why?"

She almost dared to look up but stopped herself. If she did she wouldn't be able to go through with her newly formulated plan. "Because I have to do the right thing and we both know what that is." Renesmee winced as she spoke and cursed herself hoping that Embry, who knew her better than anyone, wouldn't pick up on her weakness and reluctance. "Whatever we have," she paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "It has to stop. Please."

"Ren-"

"Don't call me that. Please, just call me Nessie, like everyone else does."

Embry's sharp intake of breath hit her like a punch to the heart. "Why would you want me to call you something you don't like?"

Renesmee's heart threatened to burst out of her chest. It was so clear, as it always had been, that he cared about her and there she was, causing him more pain than any cracked or broken bones would ever do. "Because you're not supposed to know that. You're not supposed to care."

She began running, faster than she had ever run before, without stopping until she collapsed, gasping, onto her waiting bed.

***x*x***

"You're sure this is what you want?"

Renesmee tilted her head up, smiling as widely as she could at Jacob who returned her smile with an uncertain one of his own. "Of course it is," she reassured him, squeezing the warm hand that was holding hers.

Jacob nodded, relief mixing with remaining confusion as his smile grew wider. "It's just that you never seemed interested before."

"I was, believe me I was. I just didn't know it but it was always there. Wasn't it?"

He nodded again, using his free hand to move a curl from her face. He paused for a moment, simply staring at her as if trying to decide something of the utmost importance. Suddenly, his lips crashed into hers with such force Renesmee was surprised he didn't chip her tooth in the process. Or his for that matter.

The kiss itself wasn't completely unpleasant she was pleased to note. It just didn't feel right, not that way it had when she kissed Embry. It felt too forced, almost as if Jacob was trying to create something between them that just wasn't there. Which, at least for Renesmee, was exactly what he was doing.

With what Renesmee could only describe as a lingering sigh, Jacob pulled back, trailing a large, slightly calloused finger along her jawline. "Nessie, my Nessie."

She nodded dumbly; there wasn't anything she could summon to say in reply.

He leant forward once more, resuming the kiss. More forceful this time, clearly convinced that she wasn't a china doll that would break if he made even one false move.

"Oh!"

Renesmee jumped back at the sound of her mother's voice. "Mom!"

Bella Cullen ignored her daughter's embarrassment, choosing instead to beam all too openly at Jacob who grinned back almost sheepishly. It was awful.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," one look at the vampire told Renesmee that her words were genuinely sincere. "It's just that Embry here was looking for you, Jake."

Renesmee's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't noticed Embry standing in the doorway and was scared to consider how much he had seen. One look at his dark eyes gave her the answer she had most dreaded. _Everything_.

"It's not important. Sorry to have interrupted you," Embry muttered, turning on his heel and disappearing from sight before Renesmee could even begin to form a coherent sentence or explanation.

Jacob shook his head, letting go of Renesmee to stand. "I should go check on him. It might be important." With a quick kiss on her cheek, he left, hurrying after his beta.

"Oh sweetheart!"

She turned slowly, reluctantly to look at her mom, who was still grinning, clearly thrilled at the turn of events, not trusting herself not to cry. "Hey, Mom."

"I was beginning to worry-"

Renesmee nodded, sniffing, understanding her mother's unspoken words. It wasn't as if she had tried to hide her feelings very well. "Honestly? So was I."

As her mother wrapped an arm around her shoulders Renesmee began to realise how much the moment truly meant to her. Renesmee had been told the story so many times, how her father had left her mother, how Jacob had stepped in and fallen in love with her and how her mother had broken his heart when she followed her own. She had heard so many versions of the story and her own heart had broken for Jacob several times over. She couldn't begin to comprehend how hard it must have been for her. Now she understood completely.

"I knew you'd love him, Renesmee. It's impossible not to, Jacob was always my personal sun and now he's yours. The way it's meant to be."

Somewhat shaken, Renesmee muttered an agreement, hoping she sounded convincing. She never heard her mother speak that way about him, even when she was trying to make him sound irresistible to Renesmee herself. That tone was usually saved for any mention of her father. It wasn't a tone that sounded right when used to talk about Jacob. Jacob was like a brother, a best friend and confident.

No matter how much she wished it wasn't true, Renesmee knew that she would never be able to consider Jake her personal sun. That was always going to be Embry.

**XXXX**

**A/N I wanted this chapter to be really exciting, tense and well, longer. As always that wasn't meant to be. Curse my rotten luck. Well, my brother got into Sixth Form with his GCSE results so that's good. Congratulations to everyone else who did well in their results and my sympathy who didn't! Let me know your thoughts regarding this chapter – R&R?**


	7. Chapter 7

"_And he will make the face of heaven so fine_

_That all the world will be in love with night_

_And pay no worship to the garish sun."_

_-_William Shakespeare's _Romeo & Juliet._

**Chapter Seven**

_Embry pulled Renesmee closer to him, resting his hand on her hips as he leant in for another kiss._

_"Are you sure?" He whispered, his hot breath tickling her cheeks as he spoke. _

_Words failing her, Renesmee nodded her consent, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his head down to resume their embrace. Clearly taking this as a sign of encouragement, Embry laughed as he kissed her again, combing his fingers through her mass of curls._

_Unsure of what to do with her own hands she slowly unlocked one arm from around his neck, placing her hand on his scorching chest. His heart thrummed encouragingly under her touch as he pulled her even closer until her hand was wedged between his chest and her own. _

_"Renesmee!"_

_She froze, as did Embry. Slowly, she pulled away and turned to face Jacob._

_He was trembling violently, his hands balled into fists at his side. "What is _this_?" He demanded in a growl, stepping closer. _

_Embry clutched her hand, throwing her roughly behind him as he instinctively began to react to the threat. _

_"I love him, Jake."_

_It was the worst thing she could have said and, within mere moments, Jacob was replaced By a snarling wolf whose eyes were locked on Embry as he advanced on the pair._

Renesmee woke screaming, her hands gripping the bed-sheet so tightly she was surprised she hadn't ripped it.

"Renesmee? Renesmee open the door!"

Her father didn't wait for her to comply and threw the door open, sending it flying off the hinges, clearly unconcerned by the damage as he darted towards the bed.

"It's okay, I'm here."

He crouched beside the bed, stroking her sweat-dampened hair from her face with tender fingers. His amber eyes were full of concern and love as he whispered words of comfort in multiple languages. "It was just a dream," he promised, evidently having read her thoughts, accidentally or not.

She nodded, still shaking in the aftermath of her nightmare. "Daddy," she whispered, clinging to him the way she had when she was small.

Without looking, she knew he was shocked; she had not called him 'daddy' in years.

"Renesmee," he murmured, pulling back to look at her. "What happened?"

She shook her head. "Not here, please?"

He sighed; look weary and older than she had ever seen him look. "Alright, get changed and we'll go for a walk."

It took her a few minutes but in a relatively short time, at least for someone raised in the same house as Alice, she was ready to join him.

It was still dark as they took off into the forest, both trying to ignore the look on her mother's face when they left the house.

They were about a mile away before either of them said anything. "She's not following us, is she?"

"Who?"

"Mom. She's not, right?"

Edward shook his head. "She's not that stupid. We all know I would know your mother's scent a mile off. She'll give me the Spanish Inquisition when we get back though, that's for sure."

Renesmee chuckled grimly unable to share in her father's humour.

"Now, about this dream of yours."

"Nightmare's more like it."

Edward growled softly. "Whatever you want to call it."

Renesmee sighed, shaking her hand free of the confines of her jacket and pressing it against her father's cheek. She was careful to censor the nightmare, showing her father only the final few seconds.

There was a heavy silence for a few minutes after she finished. Renesmee began to regret having ever shown him the stupid thing.

"Renesmee."

"I know. It's already been said. I'm risking everyone's safety. It's not just about me. I _know_."

"That's not what I was going to say, actually. Do you really love him?"

Renesmee could only nod mutely. That wasn't the response she had been expecting. Especially not from her father who still told her he was debating whether he should let Jacob live or not.

"I remember when I first saw your mother," he began, looking off into the middle distance, caught up in his memory.

"Let me guess, there was '_something about her_'?"

He shook his head. "No. I thought she was just another mundane human. The only interesting thing about her was that I couldn't read her thoughts. Actually, that terrified me.

"Then she was forced to sit next to me in our biology class."

"And you just _knew_, right?"

"Actually I wanted to tear her head off and drink her blood, along with that of every other human in that room."

Renesmee blanched. "But you're a vegetarian."

"Not one of my finer moments, I'll admit. My point is no great love story begins without a few bumps. In our case I mean that quite literally."

Renesmee smiled, having already been told the story of her mother almost being crushed by a truck. "How come no one ever told me the biology story?"

Edward frowned, bowing his head. "Your mom has a habit of forgetting my flaws. She likes to remember our courtship as being perfect when in reality it was anything but."

"What does this have to do with my dream?"

"I just think it's important for you to understand that no romance is ever without problems. If you really love Embry, you'll work it out."

"What about Jacob's imprint?"

Edward rubbed his temples. "You need to come to a decision regarding the nature of your relationship."

She agreed silently, knowing he would hear her. "I'm just scared of what the future might bring. If I choose Embry what happens when he finds his imprint? I will end up broken and bitter like Leah. And what happens to Jacob? At least if I choose Jake it's only me I'm hurting."

Edward looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "You don't think Embry feels the same?"

"I think it might just be the lure of the forbidden."

"Trust me, it's not."

"How would you know?"

He laughed dryly, tapping his forehead. "You're all the kid thinks about. As your father, I often feel the need to rip his head off for thinking that way about my little girl. He actually thinks about you more than Jacob does, _Ren_. You'd be surprised how long it took him to come up with that one." Edward smiled knowingly, folding his arms across his chest.

She giggled, reaching up for a hug. "Thanks, Daddy."

***x*x***

Embry growled at a herd of deer as he skulked past, annoyed at them for having someone when he didn't.

_'You're not supposed to know that'_

Renesmee's words had been floating in his head for days, despite his best efforts not to dwell on them. Even so, he supposed it was better than dwelling on the exchange he had seen between her and Jacob. It hurt him to feel such hatred towards his best friend but he couldn't help it.

He hadn't had the heart to be human for days. It was so much easier to just let his instincts take over. Walking the woods was so natural and easy, there was nothing waiting for him there to break his heart.

He put his nose to the ground, picking up on a fox trail. His nose wrinkled in disgust, it stank.

"How come no one ever told me the biology story?"

His ear twitched at the sound of voices. The sound of a voice he would have known anywhere. It had to be Renesmee, though what she was doing wandering the woods well before dawn was beyond him.

He heard a man's voice reply to her question. It wasn't Jacob's voice. Not that that information was surprising. Jake had gone to stay with his father on the reserve for a few days. It sounded like her father but he wasn't sure, he'd never felt the need to spend too much time around Renesmee's father- the thought of Edward reading his thoughts made Embry incredibly uncomfortable.

Curiosity soon got the better and he soon found himself, for want of a better word, stalking them as a 'real' wolf would stalk its prey.

"At least if I choose Jake it's only me I'm hurting."

He let out a low growl, cursing himself afterwards having forgotten the sensitivity of vampire hearing. Did Renesmee really believe that?"

He pressed closer, careful not to snap any of the twigs that littered the forest floor. Had he been human he would have blushed at her father's run down of his feelings for her, embarrassed at his apparent lack of ability to keep any of his emotions hidden recently.

"Thanks, Daddy."

Embry fought the urge to go crashing through the trees and confirm her father's words. He knew it wouldn't make any difference. Renesmee had chosen Jacob and there was nothing he could do about it. He just couldn't accept it.

Waiting for the tale-tale 'whoosh' that vampires always made when they took off running, he stepped forward, hoping to see Renesmee standing alone. He thanked his lucky stars she was. Returning to his human form felt strange after so long running on all fours. He grabbed the pair of shorts he always left dotted around in case of emergency and readied himself to walk out and face her.

"Renesmee?"

She jumped, startled as ever by his sudden presence. He could not help but let out a quiet laugh at her familiar reaction.

"What are you doing here, Embry?" She kept her eyes locked on the floor, clearly still unable to look him in the eyes despite everything. "Did you follow us?"

He shook his head, rather annoyed at the accusation. Did she really think so little of him? "Actually, I was wolfing around to get away from Jacob. I didn't mean to intrude on your conversation."

"Actually, I don't think you did. Dad can read thoughts, he probably knew you were there the entire time, besides-"

"Do you really think I don't care about you?" He interrupted, needing to know the answer more than he cared to admit.

"I don't know, Embry."

"Let me show you."

**XXXX**

**A/N **Hopefully this chapter will make up for the crumminess of the chapters that came before it. It's slightly longer and there is finally some E/R interaction! Yay. Please, please R&R it really does inspire me to write more and write it faster!


End file.
